In a navigation device and the like, techniques which search map data for a route used for guiding a user from a current location to a destination point (or create the route from the map data) have been used.
A variety of techniques have been proposed in relation to such a route search. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique which is based on a line drawn freehand by a user to search for a route close to the drawn line. Patent Document 1 describes the processes of determining the times of arrival for all routes including a route searched for based on the freehand drawn line and its surrounding routes, and then searching for a route based on the times of arrival, when a setting is made so as to search for a route corresponding to the shortest time of arrival.